1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for generating a revenue stream paid by the customer or potential buyer through mobile advertising messaging and, more particularly, to a system and method for generating a revenue stream paid by the user/buyer using an interactive mobile messaging advertising service that transmits various types of buyer useful information and in particular information related to classified advertising, wherein the service is adaptable for use for payment of the cell phone advertising messages by the mobile (cell phone) user as a premium rate text message (PSMS) within the networks of all major wireless carriers.
2. Description of Related Art
With the widespread adoption of third generation (3G) mobile phone technologies and the future development and implementation of fourth generation (4G) mobile phone technologies, wireless telephone networks are now capable of supporting the transmission of larger amounts of information to and from a greater number of mobile communication devices. In the past decade, stemming from the creation of the short message service (SMS) communications protocol, text messages have become a popular method of transmitting simple data messages to and from mobile devices such as cell phones through a wireless network. As mobile communication wireless networks have grown to support the transmission of larger volumes of information, the multimedia messaging service (MMS) communication standard was developed to allow for the sending of messages that not only include text, but also multimedia files, such as audio or video files. Due to the advances in the type of file content that is available for transmission, and the growing popularity of text messages and associated multimedia content as a means for communication, SMS and MMS messages are used to transmit information to users that can include news alerts, weather, logos, movie showings, or ring tones. In many cases, the transmitted information is premium content, which involves incurring a separate charge, billed as a premium rate text message (PSMS) in what is known as a value-added service (VAS). VAS is offered by an applications provider who works in conjunction with a wireless service provider, and splits the profits that are made from the premium service with the wireless company.
Through the widespread use of the Internet, advertising and particularly classified advertising has dramatically increased the number of viewers of a particular ad. Simultaneously, due to the increased distribution options for classified advertising in print publications, the internet, and other media, paid classified advertising revenues for these media outlets is decreasing dramatically and these media are looking for methods to increase profits and find new revenue streams. Naturally, to reach a wider customer base in a faster amount of time, advertisers are now looking towards mobile communications as the next medium for advertising. In particular, due to the growing popularity of using text or multimedia messages as a means of transmitting information in what is referred to as messaging, through mobile communication devices, advertisements, especially classified advertisements, are now being communicated to the public through these messaging platforms. Specifically, of the classified ads, the adaptation of transmitting real estate listings to mobile electronic devices is an application with many benefits and a large potential customer base. One of the benefits offered by such a service is that consumers can garner information about a property via text message, a preferred method for consumers, without having to make a phone call. Additionally, this property information can remain stored in the consumer's mobile device text message “in-box” for future reference.
Systems and methods for communicating real estate listings wirelessly to a portable electronic device are listed in the prior art. Specifically, U.S. Publication No. 2006/0260161 Nov. 23, 2006 issued to Hamilton describes an illuminated solar power real estate sign that is preferably suited for placement outside of the property that is for sale. The sign includes a wireless transmitter and a microchip that is used to transmit information relating to the specific property, wirelessly to an electronic device, such as a cell phone, laptop computer, or PDA. The information that is transmitted is stored on the microchip that is coupled to the sign. In order to receive the stored information, an electronic device must be in the range of the wireless transmitter. One disadvantage of this invention is that a user must be in close proximity to the sign, in order to receive the real estate listing information, thus limiting the total number of people that are capable of receiving the information. Furthermore, the present invention does not mention the use of a common platform that supports the transmission of the real estate information on the networks of major wireless service providers, therefore making it even more difficult for a large number of people to receive the information in a common format.
U.S. Publication No. 2007/0011244 Jan. 11, 2007 issued to O'Neal et al. describes a wireless communication system that is adapted for use with the wireless networks that are provided by the major wireless service providers. The invention includes a digital content server that can be accessed through a web based application and is used to input information. This transmitted information is then sent through messages to multiple users in various networks. Through the web based application, a hierarchical web page can be created that includes embedded text and graphic images. The hierarchical web page is sent through a method that combines the SMS standards with the internet protocols that are used by the current generation network systems of cellular telephones. One of the applications of this invention is in the transmission of real estate listings. Such listings can include text and graphics that are inputted into the digital content server by a seller. While this invention does provide a method for maximizing the number of people that are capable of receiving the input real estate information by working on the networks of major wireless service providers, the system is not adapted for the MMS that is now used with the current generations of wireless networks including 3G and the future 4G. As a result, the messages are not capable of including large multimedia files of the property that is being advertised, such as video clips. Another disadvantage of the present invention is that the system does not mention a way of generating revenue.
U.S. Publication No. 2007/0141977 Jun. 21, 2007 issued to O'Hanlon, describes a system and method for sending brochures to a wireless communication device. The brochures are sent as an SMS message, a text message, a photograph MMS message, or an opt-in message or any combination thereof. The transmitted information can include any type of information and are particularly suited to conveying real estate listing information. While the described invention does detail a method of transmitting classified advertisement information wirelessly to portable electronic devices, it fails to mention a method for generating revenue from such a service.
As wireless technology advances, the new types and amount of information that can be transmitted to portable electronic devices continues to grow. Such new types of information include real estate listings that are presented in a messaging format that includes text and multimedia data related to the specific property. A drawback to the real estate advertiser is absorbing the costs of text message calls from prospective customers in setting up a text message advertising response to real estate signage that provides text message access code used by a potential buyer to gather information related to the specific real estate listing using conventional signage. Applicant's improved method provides that the mobile (cell phone) user that is the potential buyer and recipient of the text message real estate information will be charged by the telephone wireless service provider billed as a PSMS (as an option to pay or not receive the text message) shifting the cost burden from the real estate advertiser listing the property to the potential customer that receives the beneficial information. This system and method must be adaptable for use by major wireless networks and meet both SMS and MMS standards while generating additional revenue for the wireless service provider, the marketer, distributor, or publisher of the real estate classified advertising, and reducing the cost of advertising to the real estate agency or other advertiser. Media outlet revenue models are trending away from paid advertising revenues and towards end-user on-demand or subscription services wherein the end-user purchases the media they desire. Applicant's improved method capitalizes on the consumer's adoption and growth in purchasing desired media and information on-demand or by subscription.